4 Takeaways from WWE’s Live Event in Los Angeles

How did WWE’s first live event at the LA Forum in 20 years play out?

For the first time this millennium, WWE held a live event at the historic LA Forum in Inglewood. The arena is known most for being the home of the LA Lakers during the Showtime Era. State-of-the-art arenas then took over and that’s how we now have the Staples Center. On Saturday, Brock Lesnar took over. Here are some rapid reactions to all the WWE had to offer.

1) Brock Lesnar is captivating.

Note to parents: plan ahead when you go to concessions. Otherwise, you will get stuck on line during Brock Lesnar’s entrance and hate life. Thankfully, what I saw of Brock was awesome. Every move was a spectacle. Suplex City was in full effect and when Brock puts anyone in an F-5, you drop everything. Del Rio cleverly kept his US Title thanks to interference from Rusev, but then Brock tossed Rusev around like Bo Dallas. WWE could have shared the evening on WWE Network, but this was a definite treat for Los Angeles.

2) The Live Event Crowds Want Sasha

With the Divas Revolution going through some transitions, the live events can always make for mashed up tag matches. Team BAD cut a holiday-themed promo first and were then introduced to their opponents: Becky Lynch, Charlotte and Brie Bella. If RAW storylines applied, that would be the most awkward of teams. You have the white meat babyface Becky Lynch with pseudo-tweener Charlotte and actual tweener Brie Bella.

The great thing about live events is when the crowd chants, “We Want Sasha,” Sasha can then start the match. Team BCB won, as did all good guys at the event, but I would’ve expected Team BAD to pull this one out. Why? One word: UNITY!

More from Brock Lesnar

• Ranking Brock Lesnar’s Top 10 WrestleMania Matches
• Top three storylines coming out of the WWE Day 1 PPV
• WWE: 2 Interesting Roads Ahead for New WWE Champion Brock Lesnar
• WWE: Without Brock Lesnar, there’d be no Roman Reigns
• Brock Lesnar WWE contract details revealed as per Fightful Select

3) Roman Reigns is and is not John Cena 

Before this is explained, I am still in disbelief about how in a 48-hour period Roman Reigns went from not ready to being the man. It almost created this mysterious sense of calm and gave a purpose to the last year of criticism and controversy surrounding Reigns. He would not be this over now if not for being picked apart by the IWC for the last several months. How did this play into the Los Angeles event?

The smarks of the arena did try a “Let’s Go Roman / Roman Sucks” chant, but it was not sustainable. At least 80% of the audience was pro-Roman and during announcer/audience interaction between matches, young fans voiced their support of Roman as if he was their John Cena, which is fine. Roman can be that top guy and at the end of the night, he thanked the Los Angeles fans for being the site of his first title defense.

4) Paul Heyman was there and he knows I exist.

I swore Lillian Garcia mistakenly announced him as an agent.